


Clouds

by Maplefudge



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-03
Updated: 2008-01-03
Packaged: 2018-01-07 13:43:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1120553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maplefudge/pseuds/Maplefudge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clouds made Shikamaru feel lightheaded, when he just lay flat there on the soft grass and stared up at them. They moved so slow and were so easy on the eyes, and they always made him feel drowsy with the slow way they moved across the sky. Clouds were so relaxing, which is why most of what the boy did was watch them, because he found all else troublesome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clouds

  
**007; Clouds**  
Clouds made Shikamaru feel lightheaded, when he just lay flat there on the soft grass and stared up at them. They moved so slow and were so easy on the eyes, and they always made him feel drowsy with the slow way they moved across the sky. Clouds were _so_ relaxing, which is why most of what the boy did was watch them, because he found all else troublesome.

He hated lifting a finger to make an effort, and more than once did his mother tell him that all his intelligence was going to waste. Shikamaru would mutter something about being forced to go on all those damn missions anyway, even if it was the last thing he would want to do. His mother would roll her eyes and complain about the lazy ass of a son she had, who should be more into thrill and excitement.

Much to his mother’s oblivion (which is probably a good thing), he got enough thrill and excitement from his childhood friend. Yeah, that one—the noisy blonde who never shuts up and had such a shrill voice it made Shikamaru want to bang his head. On the other hand, she didn’t make any noise (annoying ones, that is) with that voice of hers when she ran her hands across his chest and nibbled on his ear, lingering on his earring and trailing hot kisses against his neck.

No thrill and excitement? Hah, were people _wrong_.  
  
  
 **009; Remember**  
“Do you remember when that kid called Chouji fat, and Chouji accidentally hit _you_ , and you had a concussion or something?” Ino said in a cheerful voice, followed by a laugh. Shikamaru smirked at this and gave Chouji a look.

“It was an accident.” Chouji muttered as he put a potato chip in his mouth. “That was so long ago.”

The three of them were sitting by the shade, simply reminiscing, after a day of training. After all these years, they still stayed together. They don’t remember how they got to that topic, but they were saying things about what they used to remember when they were younger.

“Yeah? You remember that time when Shikamaru didn’t want to buy groceries, so he hid under his bed, and when he got out there was dirt all over his face?” Chouji asked with a huge grin. Ino burst out laughing as she remembered that day, because when his mother found out, she made Ino hit Shikamaru on the head, which she gladly did.

“Laugh all you want.” Shikamaru said, rolling his eyes. “You guys also did your fair share of stupidity.”

“Yeah, okay.” Ino said. “I remember the time someone took Chouji’s snacks and he went crazy, that they had to call his parents to school.”

“Hmph.” Was all Chouji could say.

“Don’t worry, Chouji.” Shikamaru started. “Ino’s also done _some_ crazy things.”

“Hmm, yeah.” Chouji said thoughtfully. He seemed to hesitate, but said it anyway, “You remember that time when we were really young, and Ino grabbed you aside and said she’d be the girl you’d marry?”

“Chouji! Shut up!” Ino sputtered, going red. Shikamaru groaned and turned to his side, away from his two friends, muttering something about this being so troublesome. Chouji observed with a smirk that Shikamaru was also bright red.

“I suppose that means you _do_ remember.” He said, popping another potato chip in his mouth in a proud manner.  
  
  
 **017; Tomorrow**  
Shikamaru had always been a lazy person.

“I’ll do it _tomorrow_.”

And, what he said the next day?

“ _Tomorrow_. I promise.”

And it went on and on. Finally, when she couldn’t take it anymore, Ino hit him on the shoulder with her hand. When she finally got his attention, he looked up at her painfully, and she stuck her tongue out at him in a childish manner. Ino said, “You said you’d help me out, damn it!”

“Troublesome woman.” He muttered, glaring at her with those lazy eyes of his. “I must have been sleeping.”

“You’re _always_ sleeping. Get up!” Ino said, kicking the couch that he was lying down on. On the other side of the room, his mother and father were smiling at each other in a knowing fashion. “Get up, damn it!”

“Tsch.” He turned on his side, away from her. “I’m not going to plant those stupid flowers in the park. You volunteered to do it, so you do it. So troubleso—“

But, before he could finish his usual catchphrase, she started tugging on his shoulder. She wasn’t the strongest girl in the village, but he fell down from the couch nonetheless and hit the ground painfully. It took a couple more arguments after that. I can’t do it, she said. You volunteered, he repeated. If you don’t do this, I won’t talk to you ever again, she threatened. He grinned at her when she said this.

“Shikamaru!” She said sternly, using his full name, which she rarely did. And when he saw just how annoyed she was getting, he stood up and rubbed the back of his neck, and went towards the door.

And from behind him, Ino winked at his mother.

 _That’s_ how you get things done.  
  
  
 **042; Flowers**  
Since her father owned a shop full of it, Ino knew everything there was to know about flowers. She knew all kinds of breeds, how to grow them, and the symbolism that each and every one of them held. And she _never_ shut up about her knowledge, much to Shikamaru’s dismay. Still, she was as amusing as a girl could get. Especially, when one day, Neji, of all people, walked into her store. Shikamaru had been helping out (forced, of course) and blinked when the child prodigy entered, looking like he didn’t belong anywhere near there.

Ino had been at the back when Neji grabbed the nearest thing he could get, and handed Shikamaru some money. Shikamaru reached behind the counter to give him his change, neither of them bothering to make small talk. That's when Ino arrived from the back.

“A yellow rose?” Ino blinked. “For who? Your mother?”

Neji looked away. He _looked_ away, and Shikamaru grimaced at the annoyed look on Ino’s face as she huffed and approached them. Shikamaru tried to signal her to just keep quiet, but that just wasn’t Ino.

“Well, whoever you’re giving that yellow rose to, I just hope it’s _not_ some girl you like.” Ino said in a matter-of-fact tone as she took a seat beside Shikamaru, who rolled his eyes. “That’s the worst thing you can give a girl you like. _A yellow rose_.”

Neji looked at Shikamaru with a raised eyebrow, and Shikamaru grinned back at him sheepishly. Quickly, Shikamaru grabbed a red rose from nearby and handed it to the child prodigy along with his change. “It costs the same.”

Neji dropped the yellow rose by the counter, and, shrugging, took the red rose and his change, and made his way towards the door. Ino grinned at Shikamaru proudly, and Shikamaru thought all was done when Ino suddenly yelled out,

“Say hi to Tenten for me!”

Shikamaru stopped himself from laughing when he noticed the twitch in Neji’s hands. Ino was just something else.  
  
  
 **044; Speak**  
She never shut up. She just _never_ did.

“Then she said _her_ hair was a lot prettier than mine, can you believe that!?” Ino complained, almost hitting Shikamaru out of frustration. She was sitting on his lap, facing him, and telling him stories in an animated manner. She had one of her arms around his shoulders for balance.

“Mmm.” Shikamaru muttered, not really listening. He buried his face against her neck and was muttering something that Ino didn’t see the need to understand.

“So, I told her that she should get the hell away from me… and,” Ino just continued speaking, and in her dream world, she believed that the guy who was resting against her was actually listening. It took her a while to realize that the warm breaths against her skin were from someone who was _asleep_.

“Ow!” Shikamaru grimaced when she finally hit him on the side. He stared up at her with a frown. “Geez…”

“You’re not listening, damn it!” She complained, crossing her arms.

Shikamaru tightened his hold around her and pulled her closer. “You never keep quiet.” He muttered.

“But there’s nothing else to do.” The blonde stated, sticking her tongue out at him.

Shikamaru smirked and nuzzled her, and she chuckled because it tickled. He kissed her cheek and muttered, “There are a lot of other things to do, Ino.”

The blonde laughed and caught his lower lip between her teeth. "Pervert."  



End file.
